Image forming apparatus, computer program product, and printing inhibiting method

Abstract

A cartridge used for image formation is detachably accommodated in a main body of an image forming apparatus. A cartridge determining unit determines a cartridge type, which is a type of the cartridge, and a print-job determining unit determines a print job type, which is a type of a print job received from an external device. If the print job type and the cartridge type do not match, an inhibiting unit inhibits an image formation process.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a main body to detachably accommodate a cartridge that is used for image formation; 
 a cartridge determining unit to determine whether or not a cartridge type of a cartridge accommodated in the main body is a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) cartridge type; 
 a print-job determining unit to determine whether or not a print job type of a print job is an MICR print job type by determining whether MICR data is present in the print job; and 
 an inhibiting unit to inhibit, upon the determinations indicating that the print job type is the MICR print job type and the cartridge type is not the MICR cartridge type, an image formation process. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the inhibiting unit inhibits an image formation process upon the determinations indicating that the cartridge type is the MICR cartridge type and the print job type is not the MICR print job type. 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the inhibiting unit resets the print job to inhibit an image formation process. 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the inhibiting unit stores the print job in a storage unit to inhibit an image formation process. 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an operation display unit to receive an operation for an item displayed thereon; and 
 a screen display unit to display a warning-confirmation screen on the operation display unit, wherein 
 the inhibiting unit is configured to notify the screen display unit of mismatching of the print job type and the cartridge type, cause the screen display unit to display the warning-confirmation screen containing a selectable process for a print job on the operation display unit, and inhibit an image formation process based on a process received via the warning-confirmation screen. 
 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the selectable process is a process of resetting the print job. 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the selectable process is a process of storing the print job. 
     
     
       8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the selectable process is a process of executing an image formation process based on the print job. 
     
     
       9. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the inhibiting unit stops, upon determining that the print job type and the cartridge type are caused to be matched by replacing the cartridge when the warning-confirmation screen is being displayed, inhibiting of an image formation process and executes an image formation process based on the print job. 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge determining unit is configured to retrieve the cartridge type from an integrated circuit chip installed in the cartridge accommodated in the main body. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the MICR data is an MICR password added at a location in the print job. 
     
     
       12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the medium that, when executed, causes a computer to execute:
 determining whether or not a cartridge type of a cartridge that is detachably accommodated in a main body for use in image formation is a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) cartridge type; 
 determining whether or not a print job type of a print job is an MICR print job type by determining whether MICR data is present in the print job; and 
 inhibiting, when the print job type is the MICR print job type and the cartridge type is not the MICR cartridge type, an image formation process. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer program of  claim 12 , wherein determining whether magnetic ink character recognition data is present comprises determining whether an MICR password is present at a location in the print job. 
     
     
       14. A printing inhibiting method comprising:
 determining whether or not a cartridge type of a cartridge that is detachably accommodated in a main body for use in image formation is a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) cartridge type; 
 determining whether or not a print job type of a print job is an MICR print job type by determining whether MICR data is present in the print job; and 
 inhibiting, if the print job type is the MICR print job type and the cartridge type is not the MICR cartridge type, an image formation process. 
 
     
     
       15. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 14 , wherein the inhibiting includes inhibiting an image formation process upon the determinations indicating that the cartridge type is the MICR cartridge type and the print job type is not the MICR print job type. 
     
     
       16. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 14 , wherein the inhibiting includes resetting the print job to inhibit an image formation process. 
     
     
       17. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 14 , wherein the inhibiting includes storing the print job in a storage unit to inhibit an image formation process. 
     
     
       18. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 14 , wherein the inhibiting includes notifying mismatching of the print job type and the cartridge type, causing a warning-confirmation screen containing a selectable process for a print job to be displayed on an operation display unit, and inhibiting an image formation process based on a process received via the warning-confirmation screen. 
     
     
       19. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 18 , wherein the selectable process is a process of resetting the print job. 
     
     
       20. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 18 , wherein the selectable process is a process of storing the print job. 
     
     
       21. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 18 , wherein the selectable process is a process of executing an image formation process based on the print job. 
     
     
       22. The printing inhibiting method according to  claim 18 , wherein the inhibiting includes stopping, upon determining that the print job type and the cartridge type are caused to be matched by replacing the cartridge when the warning-confirmation screen is being displayed, inhibiting of an image formation process and executing an image formation process based on the print job. 
     
     
       23. The print inhibiting method of  claim 14 , wherein MICR data comprises an MICR password at a location in the print job.